Abstract

The article concentrates on the recent creation and structuring of the Puglia Regional Landscape Plan. This planning document is the only one, besides that of Tuscany, that has been developed according to the Italian government's Codice dei Beni culturali e del Paesaggio (Code of Cultural Heritage and Landscape approved in 2004 and modified in 2008). The plan was launched in February 2015. Its authors were Angela Barbanente and Alberto Magnaghi, who coordinated the activities of the regional offices. At the heart of the plan is the current awareness that a region's landscape is produced by numerous actors who have interacted both socially and politically. The plan is constructed on a foundation of historical research, and divides the entire region into different areas that are characterized by commonalities. The plan is also a cultural phenomenon based on a widespread understanding of the rules that should be followed when approaching landscape planning. Moreover the «landscape» concept has become a central theme in the development of regional politics. This represents a new development for the local economy since until the plan, Puglia's landscape was an independent and unchanging background for development activities. This new approach will therefore transform the landscape into a new basis for future development.